HOT OR NOT: Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer shows class

It’s Hot or Not time again as Sportsmail’s Ian Ladyman reveals what’s been making him feel warm and what’s been leaving him cold this week. 

HOT

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER

Mauricio Pochettino gave the Manchester United manager licence to complain after admitting his own players were too aggressive in the teams’ bad-tempered game in Shanghai but to his great credit Solskjaer didn’t bite. The United manager said he had just been glad to see a truly competitive game. He knows – just as we all do – that such a thing is disappointingly rare during these pre-season jamborees overseas.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer kept his cool after Manchester United faced tough-tackling Tottenham

ANTHONY KNOCKAERT

The French forward was Brighton’s best player when they were promoted in 2017 but found the Premier League a grade too high. In such situations, hubris has been known to get in the way but the 27-year-old has accepted a loan move to Fulham in the Championship. It is a switch that reflects Knockaert’s simple desire to play and should work well for Scott Parker and Fulham.

T20 BLAST

The abundance of short-form cricket continues to have an adverse effect on the technical proficiency of those trying to build Test careers but it’s not going away so we should embrace it. Lancashire’s win at Yorkshire on Wednesday was thrilling and while the visitors’ all-round work in the field was impressive it was capped by superb death bowling by Saqib Mahmood.

Saqib Mahmood starred for Lancashire as they beat Yorkshire in the T20 Roses match

NOT

JASON ROY

For all his brilliance during the World Cup, Roy remains a huge gamble as a potential Ashes opener. Everything he did in his short first-innings stay at Lord’s pointed to a style of batting not suited to the forthcoming series against Australia. Roy has a first-class average of just 38 and his selection against Ireland says less about him and more about the competition for spots at the top of the order.

Jason Roy once again failed to convince his detractors ahead of the upcoming Ashes series

LIVERPOOL

The only drawback of winning the Champions League is that you get railroaded into two competitions that mean nothing. So Liverpool’s attempts to win something that matters – the Premier League – will be handicapped by two games that don’t. Trips to Istanbul to play Chelsea in the Super Cup in August and to Qatar to play in the Club World Cup in December will not help Jurgen Klopp and his players one bit.

BOJAN KRCIC

The former Barcelona midfielder is set to leave Stoke City after five seasons of diminishing returns. Many talented players struggle to realise their potential after leaving the Nou Camp and Krcic – still only 28 – would appear to be one of them.

Former Barcelona man Bojan Krkic appears set to leave Stoke without realising his potential